What Kind of Content Can I Read on UCSF Synapse?

UCSF Synapse is the school newspaper of UCSF, and its homepage mixes current student journalism with creative writing and archival history. You can read news and feature stories, poetry, fiction, personal essays, opinion and ethics pieces, social justice and politics coverage, health and student life articles, and a recurring "This Date in UCSF History" column that reprints or revisits older Synapse material.

Content Sections Visible on the Homepage

The homepage organizes stories under several labels and recurring features:

• Editor's Pick – a highlighted story chosen by the editors.
• Latest Stories / Latest Articles – the most recent pieces, spanning multiple categories.
• Poetry – verse submissions, such as "A Thursday in Trivandrum."
• Fiction – short stories, including contest winners like "These Days, Who Knows?"
• Ethics – pieces on moral and scientific questions, such as "This Date in UCSF History: Engineering Fear."
• Social Justice – coverage of programs and equity topics, such as "Training for Health Justice."
• Politics – commentary on policy and institutions, such as "This Date in UCSF History: Our WHO Promise."
• Health – reporting on healthcare systems and research, such as "What Enamel Remembers."
• Student Life – stories about the medical school experience, such as "Lessons We Carry."

Recurring Columns and Series

Two formats stand out beyond standard news categories:

"This Date in UCSF History"

This column republishes or reflects on older Synapse articles tied to a specific date. For example, the September 29, 2026 entry "Engineering Fear" notes it was originally published in Synapse on Sept. 29, 1983, and discusses questions about transforming or creating living organisms. The September 22, 2026 entry "Our WHO Promise" deals with international agreements and political obligations.

Storytelling Contest Winners

Synapse runs a storytelling contest with categories such as Non Fiction and Fiction. Winning entries are published on the site — for instance, "What's in a Name?" won first place in the Non Fiction category, and "These Days, Who Knows?" won first place in Fiction.

Who Writes for Synapse

Articles are credited to individual student writers as well as to "Synapse" itself for staff or archival pieces. The homepage also invites new contributors: "UCSF is always looking for new people to write and share articles," with a Submit an Article button and an Instagram presence at @ucsf_synapse.

How to Decide What to Read

If you want campus news and student perspectives, start with Latest Stories and Student Life. If you're interested in creative writing, go to Poetry and Fiction. If you want historical context or institutional reflection, the "This Date in UCSF History" column is the place to look. For debate-oriented reading, Ethics, Politics, and Social Justice collect those pieces.